ATEX Directives in Practice
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Successful Carrying Out of an ATEX Project in Contactless Temperature Measurement
The harmonized EC directives and standards, particularly in the field of explosion protection, increasingly shape the developments in the individual EU countries. The objective of the new European directives 1999/92/EC and 94/9/EC is to create a standardised safety level throughout Europe. On the basis of the so-called "New Approach", minimum requirements for the improvement of health protection and for the safety of employees in hazardous areas are aimed at systems (1999/92/EC). Furthermore, the design of devices and protection systems for the proper use in hazardous areas is specified (94/9/EC). All in all, this harmonization is to be considered as a comprehensive approach to largely avoid hazards in potentially explosive atmospheres.
The BARTEC ATEX Services experts offer more than 30 years of experience in the fields of process plants, safety components, devices and turn-key Ex solutions. Their support includes know-how on standards and directives, technologies and processes regarding the implementation of requirements stipulated in EU directives in Ex areas.
The explosion protection specialists already carried out lots of successful projects. One of these ATEX projects was related to the "Ignition source analysis on non-electric equipment". The ATEX team of BARTEC BENKE realised this mission at the premises of one of the leading chemical companies, located in Southern Germany.
In this project, a number of containers with agitators was evaluated. In a big part of agitators in this section of the company, gland sealings are still applied. As these sealing systems are not state-of-the-art any longer and are deemed to be old-fashioned and out-dated, they have to be replaced or temperature-checked for applications in explosive atmospheres or may only be used when a temperature rise above the maximum surface temperature can be excluded. Mechanisms which control the temperature and turn off the device should be applied. This is required by the appropriate standard.
As a solution, BARTEC BENKE presented to the operator the system of contactless temperature measurement by means of BARTEC pyrometers – Thermophil INFRAsmart R302. The system was tested on three agitators under different conditions of application during a period of about three months.
The test results were convincing:
- the pyrometers can very easily be mounted and integrated into the process control system,
- they are service-friendly and maintenance-friendly,
- their compact design is convincing,
- they furnish precise measuring results, even for rotating objects,
- they can be used without any problems even in rough conditions, due to their compact stainless steel casing and the air rinsing nozzle,
- the pyrometers are inexpensive alternatives to replacing the sealing system by slide ring sealings or even replacing the complete agitator vessel.
The BARTEC ATEX Services experts work out practical solutions to satisfy safety requirements in the sense of the Directive 1999/92/EC. Apart from stocktaking and the examination of electrical devices and systems including the corresponding documentation, they also offer safety evaluation of existing process engineering machinery and equipment, inspection of existing documents on explosion protection and the drawing up of the explosion protection document as well as qualification of competent persons in explosion protection.
Press release
Bad Mergentheim, Germany
September 2007